The Great Reconciliation (and a Quick Thought Experiment)

There are two main components to life: the physical and the metaphysical.

The physical consists of the clothes you (hopefully) have on right now, or the computer or smartphone you’re reading this on. While the metaphysical is made up of your thoughts, your dreams, your soul, your faith, your consciousness, or whatever word you so choose to define the intangible concepts of who you are and what you believe.

Each day, whether you are aware of it or not, you work out ways to reconcile the two.

The very moment your open your eyes in the morning, throw the sheets to the side and step on the floor you’ve already subconsciously reconciled the physical world (i.e. your bed, your sheets, the morning sun shining in through the tilted blinds) with the metaphysical (i.e. your belief that all those objects exist, that you exist).

The pace of life has made us less self-aware. We don’t “take the waking slow” as Roethke put it. We don’t think about these reconciliations anymore than we consider why we love chocolate, or Coca Cola, or dogs. We just do.

This is life’s great reconciliation.

These are life’s great questions: What is the world made of, and where do we fit into that world?

I don’t pretend to know the location of the finish line, but I can give you a pretty good starting point.

Next time you wake up, or next time you’re getting ready for bed, or sitting at the bus stop. Simply stop what you’re doing. Just for a few moments, a few seconds.

Look down at your hands. Turn them over. Run your fingers along the striations and your eyes upon the sinusoidal fingerprints.

Breathe and listen as your lungs expand.

Flex your toes and stand up. Slowly.

Take in everything around you, and for those brief moments reconcile the fact that you are alive, and that you have a place in this world.

Do this every day, for just a few moments, and I promise you will stand just a little bit closer to the truth of who you are.

About Wesley Banks

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I’m a writer, engineer, world traveler, and dog lover. This blog is where I share the journey of my stories that eventually turn into books. To find out more about me, read my full bio or come chat with me on Facebook.

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